Goodnight and Goodbye
by Alyssa4Music4Life
Summary: I...I know that girl." "Who is she?" "...She died six months ago." Haunted by the one who truly loved him...and a ghost unwilling to let go.
1. Trailer

**Hey People!! This is a new story idea I've had for a while now, and this is the trailer. Review if you want me to continue! i want at least, oh, five positive reviews? **

**I have another trailer coming up like, now, so check that one out, too!

* * *

Goodnight and Goodbye**

**-Trailer-**

She loved him more than anything…

"_Nate I…I…I love you."_

He didn't return her feelings…

"_Um…I'm sorry, Mitchie…But…I just don't feel the same way…"_

A horrible accident…

"_Nate, hurry! Oh, dear god, it's Mitchie!"_

A lost friend…

"_She's…she's gone, Nate…"_

Or so they thought…

"_I..i know that girl…"_

"_Who is she?"_

"_Her name is Mitchie…but…"_

"_What?"_

"…_She died six months ago."_

Nate's haunted by the ghost of the girl who loved him…

"_Nate…"_

"_Why? Who are you, why are you here?"_

**Coming Soon…?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Wow!! That was a good response. And because I am offically addicted to this story, here's the first chapter!!**

**It's a short one tho...:( I gotta start homework.**

**Oh and real quick: Do you want this story to have some NPOV's and MPOV's? I'm debating on that. This chapt is third person so yep.**

**Enjoy!  
**

**

* * *

Chapter One**

Mitchie was just another girl in his eyes.

Sure, she was a little pretty, and her voice was nice…but there were a hundred other girls in his junior class in high school. She was just another fish in the sea.

Of course he cared about her, duh. They were good friends. They sat at the same lunch table, they talked between classes if they met up in the hallway, and she was number 7 on his speed dial. Mitchie was a close friend to him. He'd call her for homework help sometimes. He wasn't a braniac like her. Nope, he was the leader. He was a musician, and the school's athlete.

Let's face it.

Nate was popular.

Mitchie wasn't.

Heck, she wouldn't be known by anyone if he weren't around. And that was exactly why he was. He and Mitchie had met in, where else?... detention. It was eighth grade. He was in trouble…she wasn't. Nope, the little teacher's pet had volunteered to watch the class.

Nate has known about her, had seen her in school musicals and in the hallways. He'd thought she was pretty. And smart; she was.

So when he'd asked for help on math, something clicked then. They said hi in the hallways, hung out at the home games, and soon a rumor started that they were dating.

But…nope.

Nothing other than friendship, much to Mitchie's disappointment.

* * *

"Who wants to play Seven Minutes in Heaven?!" Caitlyn shouted over the noise of her Beginning-of-Summer party. Everyone shouted and cheered. Laughing, she grabbed the hat full of numbers and sat next to her boyfriend…Nate's older brother, Shane. Ironic, much? Very.

Everyone abandoned the video games, DDR, air hockey and refreshment table (surprisingly alcohol free; Caitlyn had no tolerance for it. As it was, she'd kicked out two boys who'd brought some.) to come and sit around the couches in Caitlyn's basement, was a bit like her own little world. Her parents were pretty wealthy, and she was an only child. So, she had lots of games to choose from…and so did everyone else.

Caitlyn was the ultimate party planner. She was popular, too, and surprisingly levelheaded, even for being an only child. Laughing, she took a number out of the hat and passed it to Shane. He took one and passed it down.

Mitchie was sitting on Caitlyn's other side. They were best friends, and always had been. Mitchie, Nate, Caitlyn, Shane, and Shane's twin brother Jason. They were the clique of the school. It had begun with just Mitchie and Nate, and soon grew to where everyone knew them. Maybe it was because Shane, Nate and Jason had been named 'School's Hottest Students' by the yearbook girls two years in a row. Or maybe it was because they made a statement together, never following new trends but making their own that everyone eventually followed.

Nate was sitting between his girlfriend Tess and Aaron, his buddy on the football field. Once the hat got to him, he took a number and unfolded it.

7.

Same as Mitchie's speed dial number. He didn't think anything of it.

"Hey, dude, what number did you get?" Aaron asked. Nate laughed.

"Seven," he snickered. "This game is so-"

"Did you say seven?" someone asked suddenly. Mitchie was staring intently at Nate, her face a mix of excitement, disbelief and horror.

"Yeah," Nate laughed. "What did you get?"

"Seven," she whispered, a deep blush filling her face. Somehow, everyone heard her. Nate was silent, but everyone broke into "whooo!"'s and laughing, teasing.

"Seven goes first!" Shane declared, laughing. Everyone knew, except for Nate, that Mitchie was in love with Nate. Nate, as most boys are, was totally clueless. So when his football buds grabbed him up and pushed him inside the closet, then Mitchie's friends pushed her in, he did not know why everyone was so excited.

Mitchie almost fell at his feet when Shane pushed her in. Suddenly, Caitlyn smiled.

"Let's make this interesting, shall we?" she asked. "No coming out until you kiss."

"What??!" Mitchie yelped. "Guys-"

Slam.

The door was shut and locked, leaving the lover and the boy alone in darkness.

Mitchie shivered. She hated the dark more than anything. It pressed against her, cutting off her air, drawing slowly closer…closer…closer…until she felt completely absorbed in it. She tried to breathe, but she only gasped pathetically.

Nate, who had moved to the back of the closet, heard.

"Mitchie?" he whispered. "What is it? What's wrong?" He took a step towards her hyperventilating.

"I…I'm afraid…of the…d…dark," she finally squeaked out. "It's nothing." She trembled and inhaled, sounding like a fish out of water, only with more panic. Nate caught this. He came closer and reached out. When his hand brushed her shoulder, she almost shrieked, jumping back into the coat racks.

"Stupid, it's me," Nate laughed, taking her elbow. He pulled her closer and sat down on the trunk full of shoes, pulling her into his lap. They were not romantic friends, but Nate knew Mitchie well enough that hugs made everything better. Tucking her head under his chin, he wrapped his arms around her back and sighed.

"Well…"

"What?" Mitchie was barely daring to breathe. Nate had held her sort of like this before, back when she was having an especially bad day, but not for this long. Already, it was ten times longer than most hugs he gave her.

"Why is it so ironic being in here?" he asked out of the blue. "Seven minutes…in a closet…that's about seven feet by three…"

"Not to mention that's our number," Mitchie breathed, resting her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "And my speed dial on your phone, I think."

"Mmmhmm," Nate agreed. "I guess seven is our lucky number."

"I guess so."

After a minute, Nate had to ask.

"Do you know what was with everyone? Back when they learned we had the same number? I've never seen my friends laugh so hard."

Mitchie tensed. Should she tell him?

"Well…" she sighed. "I think I do, actually." Closing her eyes, she snuggled closer to him.

"Why?"

She was silent for a long time. She'd been in love with Nate from the moment he'd smiled at her, back in the eighth grade when she'd helped him with that math problem. But she'd never gotten around to telling him.

For a brief moment, she went back to everything she'd promised herself about him.

Always be there for him.

Always help him…

Always understand…

Always love him…

And she'd kept those promises.

Sighing, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He glanced down at her; their eyes were adjusting.

"It's because…" she whispered. "It's because I've had a crush on your forever. Everyone knows it."

Nate was quiet. Finally, he asked "Excuse me?"

"Nate," she sighed. "I…I…I love you."

Nate was silent again for a few minutes. Finally, he sighed very deeply.

"Mitchie…" he mumbled. "Um…I'm sorry, Mitchie…But…I just don't feel the same way…" He bit his lip, knowing he sounded like the biggest jerk in the entire teenage world. But Mitchie…he and Mitch were tight, sure, but he didn't have anything towards the romantic side they could have. He loved Mitchie like a sister, only…or did he?

Mitchie slowly slid from his lap. "Okay," she muttered. "Yeah, I figured."

**

* * *

One Week Later…**

"Say goodnight…" Nate sang, strumming his Gibson guitar loudly in the empty house. "…And Goodbye!"

He strummed the last chord and grinned. "Thank you Los Angeles!" he shouted in the empty halls, appreciating the emptiness. His mom and dad were out on a business dinner with his dad's company, and Shane and Jason were off with some of their senior friends, at a movie or something. He could have come, but the straight-A dude he was wanted to work on his science project.

But that was finished now, and right now, he was a star. As childish as it sounded, he was parading around his room, with his amp on high, playing the songs he and his brothers wrote on his guitar.

"Lala…" he sang. "La la…la la l-"

Riinnngg! Riinngg!

His phone went off on the bedside table. He took off his guitar and grabbed it.

"Nathan Gray, at your s-" he started to say.

"NATE NATE NATE!!"

He held the phone away from his ear. "Caitlyn! What the hell, what is it?"

"It's Mitchie!" his ex girlfriend sobbed. "There's been a terrible accident! Nate, hurry! It's Mitchie, oh dear god… Kitchen fire…gas line…" she was sobbing so hard he couldn't make out the words. "Mitchie…hospital!"

His breath caught, his heart stopping. "Which one?" he demanded, leaping up and grabbing his sweatshirt and keys, already pounding down the stairs.

"Saint Mary's. Call Shane and Jason! Hurry, Nate!"

The line went dead. Nate ran to his car and slid in as fast as his body would let him. He opened the garage door, started the car and dialed Jason's number at the same time. By the time Jason answered, he was already peeling from the driveway.

"Yellow?"

"Jason, Mitchie's in the hospital," Nate said, turning to the main road. "Saint Mary's. Hurry."

He hung up, cutting off Jason's exclamations of "WHAT?! HOW, OKAY WE'LL BE RIGHT THERE!" and concentrated on driving.

"C'mon, c'mon," Nate muttered at a red light. "Go, dammit…"

Finally, it turned to green.

Exactly eight minutes after Caitlyn's call, Nate parked his car in front of the emergency room and ran inside.

Someone hurled at him. Caitlyn ran full into him, sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe. Nate caught her in a hug.

"Shh," he started to say, trying to get her to calm down, but the next words out of Caitlyn's mouth froze his entire cell system.

"She's…" she gasped. "She's…g…gone! She's gone!"

"What?" Nate whispered, horrified.

"Mitchie's gone," Caitlyn moaned. "She's gone…" And she collapsed into sobs in Nate's arms, crying harder than before, ruining his red t shirt. But he didn't care.

Mitchie…was …dead? His best friend since eighth grade, for so long? The one who'd been there when he was being bullied for being fourteen and having a voice like a third grader, and helped him with math every night, and comforted him when he broke up with the very girl who was sobbing in his arms? Mitchie was gone?

Tears came fast. Nate didn't want to cry in public, but the grief was too much, especially when he remembered the last words Mitchie had spoken to him, at that stupid party a week ago.

"_Yeah. I figured."_

Nate's sobs joined Caitlyn's, and he held her tighter, burying his face in her hair, trembling as hard as she was.

He felt awful.

He'd broken Mitchie's heart…when he should have saved it.

And now she was gone.

"_Yeah, I figured."_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2!! YAY!! Yeah its really short but I am having a 'blah, I feel like crap' days, so I apologize...After this I am so taking a bath and going to bed. Maybe sleep is what I need...I haven't had a good night sleep in forever.**

**Ignore Alyssa's random rambling and R&R!  
**

**

* * *

Chapter 2**

_Name: Mitchie Torres_

_Condition: Deceased_

_Time of Death: 7:00_

_Date: May 17, 2009_

_

* * *

_

_She stood and stretched, yawning, her homework finally done. She stepped away from her desk to go downstairs to her mother…_

_BOOM!_

_Pain._

_Heat_

_Pain_

_Blackness_

_A whirlwind. Lights, people talking, crying, a bright, bright light…_

_And she was suddenly standing beside herself…herself on a flat bed._

"_Time of death…seven o'clock."_

_She stared down at her dead body._

_

* * *

_

Nate looked down at Mitchie's casket as it was lowered in the grave. He held a single white rose, and dropped it in, before anyone else. It seemed to flow in slow motion, fluttering down until it hit the top of the casket.

People were crying all around him. Mitchie's father, and her mother, who was so badly burned she was a full two shades tanner, and was parked in a wheelchair, were out front crying, their faces crumpled with grief. Mitchie's little cat, Salmon, sat in Mitchie's mother lap, his tale, left ear and most of his right leg now gone. He seemed to sense the grief and had his head laid down on Mrs. Torres's leg.

Shane and Jason were standing beside him, Shane's arms around a sobbing Caitlyn, and Jason's head bowed, his shoulders shaking.

Tess stood beside Nate, her face buried in his shoulder, moaning over and over how awful she'd been to Mitchie at times, all through high school. His arm was around her back, but he felt positively numb. He couldn't move. He was still staring at the little white flower on the coffin. It had been joined by forty other flowers of the mourners, all standing so quietly Nate could hear a bird chirping in the tree twenty meters away…over the quiet sobbing now.

"Nate."

He turned and looked blankly at Mr. Torres, who had seemed to remember something.

"I…I was going through Mitchie's b-belongings," he choked out. "The ones that…survived the explosion…and I…I found something in her diary…with your n-name on it…I think you should r-read it." He sniffed and handed it over. Nate took it and stared at Mitchie's delicate handwriting.

_My dear Nate,_

_You will never read this letter…I'm writing to vent. _

_Today, you and Tess Tyler started dating. It broke me apart in so many ways, I feel positively numb. I can't even think other than normal thoughts, such as 'write this word' or 'brush the hair out of your face.' My thoughts have completely disappeared…I don't even know how I'm still writing._

_My point it, Nate, I love you. I have loved you ever since that day we met, in detention. I love everything about you…your eyes (so beautiful and thoughtful), your smile (so childish and cute), your hair (soft and amazing) and your laugh (so happy…so rare, Nate…). But you also make me feel better. You are my antidote to pain._

_...Remember when that bully, back when we were freshman's, bullied me and practically sexually harassed me? Yeah, you were there…the entire time, Nate! Comforting me, making me smile besides, and just making everything better._

_But now…you and Tyler._

_I hope that things might change…I've thought a lot about the future._

_My future…your future…our future? As one?_

_Oh, Nate, the concept fills my numb soul with joy. Could we really, really be together? Could you really be that one someday? Someday, will we be married? With children and pets and debt? Oh, Nate. I love the idea. Even the debt. Though, one day, we won't have any. _

_Someday, your band will catch on fire! You will be so, so famous…I know you're already seventeen and it seems late but you will! You, Shane and Jason will be famous, known worldwide and have so many fans…thousands of screaming teenage girls._

_But I hope you'll have time for the one who truly loves you._

_Me._

_-Mitchie_

Tears ran faster out of Nate's eyes. He read it again, twice, five more times. A few lines stuck out at him.

"_You'll never read this…My future…married…children…"_

So many things taken from her. A future, a chance at a family, love…an almost happy ending…everything! All taken from her in one single second.

Nate slowly folded the letter back and looked at Mitchie's grief stricken face. "Can I keep it?" he whispered hollowly. Mr. Torres nodded.

"We want you to have her cat," Mrs. Torres said suddenly, looking at Salmon in her lap. "He needs a loving family…and so much of him still reminds us of Mitchie. I don't…I don't want to see him with these injuries that Mitchie should have only had…" She closed her eyes and gently grabbed the cat, holding him out to the surprised seventeen year old. "Please, Nate?"

Nate slowly took the black and white cat after tucking the letter into his pocket. He petted Salmon's head, remembering the day Mitchie got him.

"_Look Nate!" she sqealed, running to the cage and cooing over the little, black and white cat. "He's so cute! I want this one."_

"_What are you going to name it?"_

"_Salamon!"_

"_That's a weird name."_

He almost smiled. Mitchie had dragged him to the shelter and she'd instantly named the little guy Salmon, heaven knows why. Nate thought that Elvis was a better name, or maybe Games. He didn't have any idea why. But Mitchie had stuck with Salmon and now the five year old cat was Nate's.

He could change the name.

But he won't.

* * *

_She watched in horror as her body was covered with the mahogany lid._

"_No!" she screamed. "Wait! I'm still here!"_

_But why was she…watching? And not…in the coffin?_

_What was going on? _

_She ran towards her parents, her mom handing over her cat to Nate, who looked awful._

"_That's my cat!" she whispered. "Salmon…"_

_His ears perked up._

_

* * *

_

"I'll take care of h-Salmon!" Nate cried as the cat jumped from his arms and ran a few meters away, stopping abruptly and yowling at nothing. Nate ran over and bent to pick up the cat. He felt a cold, cold breeze, even though the day was warm.

He shivered and picked the cat up. "Sal, no," he murmured. "You have to stay with me."

That breeze again…but it wasn't a breeze. He just felt chilled; very cold on the inside. But he brushed it off and carried the cat back to Mitchie's grieving parents.

* * *

_She followed_.

_"Nate...?"_

* * *

**Review?? And BTW I will have POV's of the characters in a few chapters I think. Review?**


	4. Chapter 3

**Oh Yaaa! New Chapter, booyah! Hope you like it! **

**

* * *

Chapter 3**

* * *

Life went on…without Mitchie.

Or…maybe the more accurate wording is the sun rose and set, and the moon moved and changed, but nothing really seemed to change day after day for Nate. He did get up, he did eat, he did go to school and he did his homework. But everyone, even the school principal, noticed a change.

A local craftsman built a fine, wooden bench with a plaque dedicated to Mitchie and put it in the courtyard. Everyone respected it. Nate hated it. He hated that people thought that a simple, wooden sitting place could ever match up to Mitchie's soul, even if it had her name on it. He hated it.

But, even so, Shane and Jason sometimes found him sitting next to it (not on, next to) after school and just staring off into space. Just sitting there, like nothing else mattered.

"Why are you so broken?" his girlfriend, Tess, asked him at one point, about three weeks after Mitchie's funeral. "I'm sad about Mitchie, too, but…Nate, come on. Not even Caitlyn is this bad. At least she's making an effort to be…alive. You? You act like…like she was your sister or your true l-"

She had stopped abruptly and Nate looked up at her, in his usual spot by the bench.

"My what?" he asked so deathly quiet that if Tess hadn't been watching and listening intently, she wouldn't have heard him, despite being about a foot from him.

"Your true love," she whispered, getting down to his level and staring into his eyes, her blue ones searching, piercing for an answer.

"Was she, Nate?" she demanded. "Did you love her?"

"I…" Nate hesitated. "Tess I…"

"I won't be mad," she murmured. "I…I know I seem like something from the Britney Spear's song 'Oops I Did It Again' but I care about you. You can't be like this forever, Nate…she's gone. You have to accept it."

"Yeah," Nate sighed. After a second, he looked at her and took her hand. "Tess…look, you're…you're sexy and beautiful, but I…I need to end this. You are very nice, but…" He shook his head. "I…I think I did love her. I don't know why everything is like a foggy haze lately, but it is. I…I just need time to figure it out."

"Of course," Tess murmured. Then she stood, brushed off her skirt and left.

* * *

That night, Nate's father made an announcement.

He had gotten a job transfer.

They were moving to L.A.

Nate ran to the cemetery after that, taking his bike, not wanting to deal with red lights.

He threw it down onto the ground and knelt on Mitchie's grave, tears running down his face.

"I don't want to leave you," he whispered, putting down the single little rose he had stolen from his mother's vase on the table. "I…I feel like I need to be here, forever, to watch over you. Isn't that crazy? _You're _the one dead and in heaven and _I _feel like _I _have to watch over _you_."

He shook his head. He was talking to a dead person.

Maybe his parents were right. His mom had said "This is a chance for us to start fresh, forget our past."

Meaning Mitchie.

"Yeah," his father had agreed. "Start over and leave troubles behind."

Meaning Mitchie.

_

* * *

You're leaving? She thought sadly. But I haven't even figured all of this out yet._

_He didn't answer and instead got up and walked back to his bike._

_She waited, then followed, as fast as she could. Finally, she reached the bike and held on, smiling. _

_If he was leaving, so was she._

**

* * *

Six Months Later**

* * *

"Nate! Come on, dinner!" Shane called from upstairs. Nate woke with a start and realized he had fallen asleep, his head resting on his science textbook. He wiped some drool from his mouth, and sighed when he saw he had gotten some onto the page. He grabbed a tissue and cleaned it, before standing and groaning. His neck hurt like hell. He turned it, wincing, before walking downstairs. Pausing on the staircase by the window, he looked out at the darkened city of Los Angeles. The lamplights were golden and shining, making it look like there was gold sprinkled between the buildings.

"Nate!" his mother called.

He felt something brushing his hair. He looked, but there was nothing there. He touched his cheek where he could have sworn he felt fingers caressing, and shuddered. This was happening more and more often…the strange feelings, like someone was watching him, hugging him, touching his face…

Nate brushed it off and went downstairs. His family was already setting the table.

Suddenly, Nate felt like he was yanked from the spot he was standing on. Just in time. The two dogs, Mercury, the huge Bernese Mountain dog, and Elvis, the golden retriever, ran by, barking and snarling at each other, running up stairs. Nate would have gotten trampled, seeing how vague his mind was.

"Whoa!" Adam, the littlest brother, exclaimed. "How'd ya do that Nate?"

"I…don't know," he admitted, shaking his head. He went to sit down at his spot at the table and stared into space.

_Why is this happening? _He thought as his mother placed his plate of chicken in front of him. _It's like someone's watching me._

Salmon rubbed against Nate's leg and Nate jumped.

"Oh, hey, Sal," he murmured to the cat before taking a piece of chicken and feeding it to him. The cat eagerly snapped it up.

* * *

"_NO!" she exclaimed. "Do you know nothing about my cat, you stupid idiot?? He'll throw up in about half an hour. Chicken hurts his tummy!_

_She clenched her hands angrily and scowled. Nate, as usual, didn't hear her, and instead began eating his own food._

_She sighed and jumped off the staircase handrail, landing beside him. He shuddered, feeling the cool breeze. She grinned._

"_Hah. Cold, buddy?"_

* * *

A cool breeze blew past Nate and he shivered, rubbing his arm. His mother, Denise noticed.

"Honey, are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Could you close the window, though? The draft is cold."

His parents and brothers all stopped eating and looked at him like he was insane.

"Honey?" his mother asked. "Are you feeling okay? The windows are closed."

"Yeah, and AC is off," Jason added. Nate blinked.

"Oh," he muttered. "Um…I guess I'm just a little cold in general."

"its eighty five degrees outside!" his father pointed out. "You feeling okay, son?"

"Fine," he mumbled. "Ah…um, I'm not really hungry. Can I be excused?"

"All right," Denise said slowly. "You look a little pale. You should go to bed early."

"All right," he said, getting up and going back upstairs. Once in his room, he took a shower then pulled on his sweats to sleep in, and lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

_

* * *

Am I making your life hard?_

_Don't worry, Nate, I don't mean it._

_It just happens…_

_She smiled wickedly._

_Or does it?__

* * *

_**Ooh. What's she up to??**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Do you want Nate to learn of his silent stalker? Then REVIEW! And, oh, hey, please, please, please, please(!!!) if you haven't already, read my fairly new story When You Look Me In The Eyes. I feel it's not getting the attention it deserves, and I really want it to get going on the reader and story alert and review-ness. Please go read it? Pretty please? And review? Pretty please?**

**Rock 'N Roll!**

**Stay In School!**

**REVIEW!**

**-Alyssa  
**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Nate opened his eyes to bright sunlight. Groaning, he rolled over and plopped his pillow over his head. He didn't feel much like getting up.

BANG!

Something slammed. Nate sat bolt upright, looking around in surprise.

His textbook on his desk lay still. He watched it.

To his horror…it slowly lifted up in the air and fell back down with the same loud BANG. He gasped and rubbed his eyes.

The book lay still.

"Dream," he muttered. "Still asleep…dream…"

Shaking his head, Nate started to climb out of bed, but found his legs tangled in the sheets. He fell to the ground with a loud "THUMP," followed shortly by a groan. He rested his cheek on the floor and sighed. Then it occurred to him; he slept like the dead. He never, ever moved in his sleep, other than turning his head.

So how did the sheets get tangled in his feet?

Sighing again, he pushed himself up onto his elbows and blew the curls out of his eyes. Not an excellent start to a morning…TGIF.

Someone knocked on his door. "Hey, Nate, you okay?" Jason called. "I heard a loud noise."

"Fell outta bed," Nate called back. "I'm good."

"Okay."

Jason's footsteps disappeared. Nate untangled his legs and pulled himself free of the blankets, then stretched, groaning when his neck burst into pain. He rubbed it and glanced at the mirror on the wall.

"Whoa," he muttered in surprised, taken aback by his own appearance. His hair, normally insanely fluffy and insane, even when dirty, was lying flat on his head, drooping into his eyes…which were framed by dark, purple circles. His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot, and he suddenly realized how plain _awful _he felt.

He blinked and looked again; no dreaming now…he looked like hell.

"Nate! Breakfast has been ready and you're going to be late!" his mother called from the bottom of the staircase. Pulling himself away from the mirror and his own face, he called down

"Coming, Mom!" and scrambled to grab a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He pulled them on and thudded down the stairs. His mother glanced at him and her eyes widened.

"Nate, honey, do you feel all right?" she asked, instantly putting a hand to his forehead. "You look awful."

"Gee, thanks, mom," Nate muttered. "I feel okay."

"No fever," Mrs. Gray murmured. "But, gosh, you look like the dead. Were you up all night, or something?"

"No," Nate muttered, pulling away from her hand. "I was asleep by ten o'clock."

"Are you sneaking out?" she asked suddenly. "Is there something you want to share, a girl maybe…?"

"What?!" Nate exclaimed. Shane, who'd been sitting sleepily at the table, still dressed in the gray t-shirt and plaid pants he wore to bed, choked and started to laugh, half coughing and half snickering. Nate shot him a glare, and turned to his mom. "Mom…_seriously."_

"All right, all right," she said, holding her hands up. "No need to get mad. I was just checking. You _sure _you feel all right?"

"Fine, fine," Nate muttered, brushing his mother's hand away and going to sit down at the table. Shane glanced up at him and grimaced lightly.

"Dude, you look like you fell off a cliff, got high, threw up, died, came back to life and fell down a staircase," he said matter-of-factly. Nate scowled lightly at him, but ignored the comment for the most part. Grabbing a banana from the bowl in the middle of the table, he peeled it and looked around the house.

It still didn't feel like home to him. Sure, it was big and elegant, and, well, Californian styled, with high ceilings, a crystal chandelier, big windows and dark, wooden floors, not to mention the clear, rectangular pool out back, but something was still missing to Nate.

Memories.

That was it, he decided.

The house was missing memories.

Sure, it has memories of its past owners (an old couple who went golfing every Thursday, apparently,) and maybe of people before that, if there had been any, but the house was missing _his _memories. This whole town was missing his memories.

Back in his old home…there'd been memories literally in every corner. In the city they danced around with the air.

Nate twirled his spoon around his bowl of oatmeal his mom had placed in front of him and thought back of some of his favorite memories…

Like the time he'd gotten a cat down from a tree, in the process getting scratched in the face and bleeding a whole boat load…he'd been what, fifteen? It hadn't been long ago at all…he still had the scars. The little girl who owned the cat was happy to have it back though.

Or when he was six, and Shane tried to show him how to ride a two wheeler bike. He'd taken him down to the elementary school parking lot…

**_-Flashback-_**

"Okay, Natey," eight year old Shane sang. "Here's the trick: balance. Okay?"

Nate looked innocently up at Shane from his spot on the ground, his bike propped up behind him. "Okay," he mumbled. "What if I fall?"

Shane knocked his fist on the helmet that was strapped to Nate's head. Nate winced. "That's what these are for, silly!" Shane exclaimed. "And mommy made sure you had your padding on. See?"

"But what if a sudden wind current sweeps the bike out from under me and I gotta do a tuck and roll?"

Shane gave Nate a blank stare, one that said "I have no idea what you just said." Nate grinned cheekily.

"And what if-"

Shane put his hand over Nate's mouth. "Shush. Get on the bike now, all right? I promise, you won't fall."

Nate nodded and looked at his big, red bike. His lip started to tremble. "I'm scared."

"Here, I'll show you first, all right?" Shane said and grabbed the bike. He kicked the stand up and climbed on it. Nate sat back down and Shane started to pedal. Suddenly, Nate gasped in horror.

"Shaney!" he shouted. "You forgot your helmet! And padding! What if you fall?!"

"I won't fall doofus," Shane rolled his eyes. He was making gentle turns about thirty feet in front of Nate. "I'm a professional."

"But-"

"AH! SPIDER!"

Suddenly, the bike veered and Shane went tumbling off. His body seemed to be pushed from the seat of the bike, which instantly fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Shane tumbled about a foot and ended up on his back on the cement. He scraped his elbows on the ground and his head knocked against the cement. Nate jumped to his feet and ran loyally to his brother's aid.

"Shaney, Shaney!" he cried, running over and dropping to his knees. "Are you all right? Do you need 911?"

Shane opened his eyes and groaned. "No. Dang spider."

"Was it on the bike?" Nate asked innocently.

"No, cheese brain. I was trying to crush it."

**_-End Flashback-_**

Nate snorted and smiled lightly. Jason, who was leaning against the counter eating a cereal bar, looked up curiously. "What's so funny?"

"Remember my bike lessons?" Nate asked.

"Ugh." Shane grimaced.

"Hey, you offered…" Nate murmured, suddenly being sucked back into another memory…one much more painful…

**_-Flashback-_**

"How do you not get this?!" she whispered furiously. "It's as simple as tying your shoes."

Nate scowled at the pretty, brunette girl. "Look, braniac, not everyone is a teacher's pet like you. Furthermore…I usually wear slip-on's."

"You're brain's a slip on," Mitchie grumbled. "Let me see that…" she took the math worksheet he was supposed to be doing for homework and studied it. Then her eyes lit up.

"Here, try something like this…" She grabbed his hand and wrote for him. Her hand was warm and soft. He felt like he should yank his own hand away but something told him to stop.

"There, see?"

"Wait, what?" Nate asked blankly.

Mitchie groaned. "I give up!"

"You offered," Nate muttered, but smiled shyly at her. To his surprise, she gave an exasperated smile back.

"All right, one…more…time…"

**_-End Flashback-_**

"Nate. Nate? Nate. NATE!"

Nate jerked back to present time to see Shane waving his hand in front of his face.

"What?" he mumbled.

"You've been staring at your oatmeal for like, twenty minutes," Shane said. "And now we gotta go. You ready?" He looked pointedly down at Nate's hardly touched oatmeal and raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah," Nate muttered. "Lemme brush my teeth."

"Hurry, will you?" Jason called. "I, um…I told my teacher I'd help her set up."

"Bull," Shane accused. "You've got a girl, haven't you?"

"No," Jason said stubbornly.

"WHOOO JASON AND SOMEBODY SITTING IN A TRE-EE!" Shane shouted suddenly.

"Mature," Jason stated.

Nate ignored them and ran up the stairs to his bathroom, his head still swirling with the memory he'd had of Mitchie…it would be lying to say that he didn't think of her much.

Nope, Mitchie was in his mind…all the time. In his dreams, in his thoughts and in his songs. He missed her more than he could ever thought he could miss anyone.

He washed his face and brushed his teeth, while running a comb through his curls. It didn't help much; they still lay limp in his face. Sighing, he pulled open the drawer to put his brush away. Out of the corner of his eye…

Nate's head snapped up in alarm and he looked around.

There was no one there.

"What the…" he muttered.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nate could have sworn Mitchie was standing beside him, fixing her hair in the mirror.

Nate blinked…and screamed.

Mitchie stood in the shower, grinning at him. Slowly, she reached over and turned the dial of the shower, turning the water on hot. As the water rained down her, she winked at him and disappeared.

Nate yelled again and stumbled back. He tripped backwards over the hamper and landed on his butt, hard. He scrambled back, yelping. His back hit the wall. Mitchie appeared again, standing on the toilet. She grinned at Nate again.

"MOOOMMM!!!" he screamed. "Mom, help! Dad, Shane, Jason!"

Feet were pounding up the stairs. Mitchie appeared in front of Nate again. She blew a kiss and disappeared as the door flew open. Nate cowered, and another screech of horror escaped his lips.

"Nate! Nate, what happened?" Jason's hand grabbed Nate and pulled him out of the bathroom. Nate was shaking, his face deathly pale.

"M-M" he whimpered.

"What?" Jason asked. Shane and his mother ran up the stairs and stopped in front of Nate. Mrs. Gray dropped down beside her son and brushed his hair back from his face.

"What, Nate?" she whispered. "What is it? Are you all right?"

"M-M-M…" he whispered. Everyone's voices were sounding far away, and watery, as if he were underwater.

"I think he's having a fit. We should slap him," Shane said.

"Nate, Nate, what is it?" Jason asked.

"Mitchie," he gasped out. Everything blackened.

* * *

**Sorry if it's a bit confusing, I really wanted to update this story!**

**And I have some news: Two words: Spring Break!! YAY! So this week I am going to try to update ALL of my stories....yes, even my Twilight one! :o**

**Lol so yes...I hope you liked this chapter! I will update again soon! : )  
**


	6. Chapter 5

**So did you guys here Michael Jackson died? Thats soo tragic.  
**

**But on a brighter side, I'm so glad to be updating again! And I have great news!! Last night I went to see THE JONAS BROTHERS!! (much screaming here). It was totally amazing! I was crying during ALBL and they were just...just...-helpless happy stuttering- INCREDIBLE! INSPIRING!! Yay!**

And I promise to update sooner. Stay with me people!!

* * *

Chapter 5

_She sighed impatiently. This wasn't going the way she planned…_

Mitchie paced back and forth along the staircase banister, watching the scene beneath her. She scowled in frustration. It wasn't enough, what she had done. No, she was going to make him suffer…

_Wow you're getting evil, she thought to herself. Ugh._

Not that it mattered. Not anymore.

_After all…I'm dead._

* * *

"You think we should take him to the hospital? He was hallucinating…"

"Mom, he's cold as ice. There's not even a fever. He might even be dead."

"Shut up, Shane. Mom's right, maybe we should take him to the hospital."

"I'm just saying, he doesn't have a fever…and at his last physical everything was in order…his blood sugar, level of insulin…"

"True…"

"Shane, hon, go grab another cold rag. Jason, will you take Frankie to school for me?"

"Sure."

"'Kay."

Nate twitched and his eyes fluttered open. He was lying on his bed, covered with all the blankets. His mom was straightening some pillows on the couch.

"Mom?" Nate mumbled.

"Nate, honey, how are you feeling?" his mother crooned, stroking his curly hair out of his eyes.

"What happened?"

"You started screaming and saying something about Mitchie…" his mother said gently. "And then you passed out."

"Here's the rag, Mom," Shane said, coming in before Nate could reply. "Oh, hey Fainty McWilliams, welcome to the land of the living," he added when he noticed Nate's eyes were open. "How was the unknown regions of life?"

"Stop it, Shane," his mother scolded, draping the rag of Nate's forehead. "Nate, what happened?"

Nate felt slightly dizzy as the memory flooded back into his brain.

Mitchie…

"I…I don't know," he mumbled. "I thought I saw…Mitchie."

"Whoa, whoa, Mitchie _Torres?" _Shane cut in. "She's dead dude. You know that, right?"

"I _know_," Nate growled. "I think I was just hallucinating…I'm really tired actually…"

"How do you feel now?"

"I'm fine," Nate yawned. "Tired…"

"Why don't you stay home today?" his mother suggested. "It'll be all right."

"I feel fine Mom, really," Nate insisted. "I just want to forget this happened."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Completely."

Nate's mother still looked unsure. "Well…I suppose…but you call me as soon as you feel wrong, all right?"

"Sure, sure," Nate mumbled, already rolling off the couch and stumbling up the stairs to his room. Once there, he glanced around and shuddered.

"Mitch," he whispered. "If you're here…what do you want with me?"

Suddenly feeling stupid beyond belief, he changed his clothes, grabbed his book bag and ran downstairs.

Behind him, Mitchie scowled again.

Needless to say, Nate and Shane were a few minutes late for school. When Nate shuffled into his first period science class thirty minutes late, everyone looked up. A few smirked, others paid no attention and went back to taking note

"Ah, Mr. Gray," his teacher, Mr. Burrn, said. "Thank you for joining us. Take your seat, we're reviewing mitosis."

_Again? _Nate thought, groaning inwardly as he sat down. He flipped open his notebook and bent his head over his work.

Suddenly, a little piece of folded paper landed beside his hand. Nate looked up to see Beverly, the girl sitting across from him, watching him intently. Sighing quietly, Nate took the note and opened it.

_Where have you been? _Beverly's neat handwriting demanded.

Over the few months, Beverly had taken an interest in Nate. Nate admitted it, they were friends, but not as tight as his old friends were.

Sighing, Nate grabbed up his pen and quickly scrawled _**Nothing, just didn't feel well.**_

_Oh. I'm sorry. What was wrong? Insulin?_

_**I don't know.**_

Beverly was about to write back when Mr. Burrn snatched up the note. "Ah, Miss Hill, care to share what is so important with Mr. Gray?"

"I was only asking him where he was," Beverly answered coolly, brushing her brown hair out of her eyes and looking calmly at her teacher. Beverly was known for giving snide remarks and being chill when a teacher yelled at her, which was often because Beverly didn't like to pay attention. The only funny thing was that she had been valedictorian in middle school.

"Why, did you miss a date?" someone called out. It was another 'friend' of Nate's, John. He grinned good naturedly and shrugged at Nate's glance.

Beverly made a face in John's direction. The teacher glanced at the note, rolled his eyes and threw it away.

The class continued. Nate couldn't really pay much attention. His mind was on what had happened this morning.

Had he really seen Mitchie or was he finally cracking?

After the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Nate grabbed a NurtiGrain bar from the vending machine. As he put the money in, Beverly appeared behind him.

"You look like hell."

"Thanks so much," Nate said sarcastically. "You look…"

_Beautiful _he thought grudgingly

"Like you died."

Beverly rolled her eyes and snatched the bar from Nate's hands, pulling open the wrapping Nate had previously struggled with. "And by the way, you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, fine, why?" Nate nibbled the bar, not looking Beverly in the eye.

"First of all, your shirt is inside out and backwards." She took his sleeve in her fingers and Nate saw that the seams were on the outside. Then he realized the tag was sticking out under his chin.

"Second…your hair is flatter than that bird I saw in the road this morning."

Nate grimaced at the mental picture.

"Third-"

"Okay, okay I get it," Nate cut in. "Yeah, today wasn't the best," he added under her breath.

"What happened?"

Nate threw away the wrapper as the warning bell rang. "Nothing," he said stubbornly.

Beverly rolled her eyes. "Nate, we're friends. I've known you long enough to know you would never step foot outside your house wearing sweat pants, let alone an inside out, backwards shirt and hair as flat as road kill."

"So? What's your point?"

"I'm saying, obviously something big happened this morning. Spill?" Beverly looked hopefully at Nate. The hopeful expression suddenly reminded Nate of Mitchie…the curve of her mouth, her sparkling eyes…

Suddenly, it wasn't Beverly he was staring at. It was Mitchie.

Blinking and shaking his head, Nate let out a breath. "I…I have to go. Talk to you later, Bev…"

The bell rang. Nate was gone.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The final bell rang and Nate immediately grabbed his backpack and left class. For some reason, he felt like he just needed to get home. Something was drawing him back…secretly, he wondered if it was Mitchie playing with his head, or if he was seriously just going insane. He was considering both of them rather deeply, which might explain why he suddenly smacked into a water fountain.

Swearing under his breath, Nate shook his head, trying to clear it, when a voice called out "Nate!"

It was Beverly, of course. She bounced up to him, her curls flying behind her. Nate groaned internally. Beverly was most likely going to ask him to hang out this afternoon, like she did almost every day.

"Hey," he greeted her civilly, slinging his backpack on his other shoulder and starting to move along with the crowd to get outside.

"Hey, so, I was wondering if you would like to hang this afternoon?" Beverly didn't miss a beat and fell into step beside him, her arms clutching a small stack of books to her chest. "I mean, a bunch of us were just going to head down to the mall, just hang out and chill for a while. I thought maybe you'd like to come…might make you feel better?" she ended hopefully.

Nate sighed, brushing his curly hair out of his eyes. Suddenly, he just couldn't say no to those sky blue eyes. Hating himself, he managed a weak smile as he replied "Sure, I'll meet you in the parking lot in ten?"

Beverly beamed. "Awesome! See you then, Nate."

She melted away with the crowd, leaving Nate standing by his locker, which he had just realized was his. Shaking his head, he unlocked it and threw in some books, taking the ones that he needed for homework only. Then, he grabbed out his cell phone, texted Shane (_**Going to B l8, going 2 mall w/ friends**_) and shut the door.

Beverly was already waiting for him when he made it outside. She sat primly on the low wall outside the school, her head bent over a thick book, her blonde-ish hair falling over her face. For a low key sass master, Beverly was a major bookworm.

She looked up as he approached, and smiled. "Hey, Nate," she greeted him sweetly. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," Nate shrugged and looked around. "Are we walking?"

"Oh, no," Beverly smiled. "You and I are in my car, and Ben, John, Cassadee and Blake are in Blake's car."

"Oh." Somehow, Nate knew he and Beverly were going to be alone at one point or another. Surprisingly, he didn't mind as much as he thought he would. With a small smile in Beverly's direction, he followed her as she packed up her book bag, tucked the thick book away, and led him to the small Honda Civic she and her brother shared.

"Here, you can put your bag in the backseat," Beverly said, unlocking the car and tossing her stuff in the back. Nate mimicked her and climbed in the passenger seat. Beverly started up the car and after a wave to Blake in her car, pulled out of the high school's parking lot.

Silence closed in around them as Beverly concentrated on driving (she'd only gotten her license a few months ago, but was a very good driver besides) and Nate thought back to what had transpired that morning in his bathroom.

Did he really see Mitchie? Or rather, Mitchie's ghost? Nate normally didn't believe in that kind of supernatural stuff, but now he wasn't so sure. Ever since she'd died…he'd felt her. Somehow, he'd always known it was her who was stroking his cheek as he paused by the mirror in the bathroom, or hummed him to sleep at night…somehow, he always sensed that she was nearby. It just never really crossed his mind before.

Beverly broke his thoughts by saying conversationally "So…do you want to talk about it now?"

Nate hesitated. "Not really," he admitted finally. "It's kind of personal…I mean, I don't meant to shut you out," he added, seeing Beverly's hurt expression. "It's just that…it just has to do with New Jersey, stuff from home…"

Beverly nodded curtly. Everyone knew Nate didn't like to talk about his past in New Jersey, and anyone who tried to get him to was responded with "It's an old part of my life, I like to look in the past…"

Many rumors had gone around that he was actually a juvenile delinquent, fresh from Juvy and trying to murder a famous celebrity…or something like that. Nate ignored the stares he got, and the whispers he heard…most of the time.

Nate looked out at the sidewalk of happy people, shopping about and walking and talking in groups. He saw a mother with a young toddler crossing the street, and an old man with two Dalmatians resting on the steps of a restaurant. He saw three teenagers roll by on skateboards, saw Mitchie about to cross the street and…

Nate's insides turned to ice. His eyes widened.

He was hallucinating…he was crazy, dehydrated, something…he could not really be seeing Mitchie…right there in front of him…

But he was.

Nate inhaled sharply, his hands tightening. Beverly was at a red light. She looked over at him worriedly. "Nate?" she asked softly. "What is it?"

Nate's heart was pounding, his skull throbbing, his eyes seemed stuck on the person ahead of him. There was no doubt that it was Mitchie, in the flesh, like he'd last saw her…her lips had the pink tinge of lip gloss, her eyes outlined by light eyeliner, her shirt a bright blue, her skinny jeans black…

Nate tried to swallow. Nothing.

"Nate?" Beverly repeated. "Nate, what's wrong? What is it?"

"S…See that girl over there?" he croaked out, pointing. "With the blue shirt and black skinny jeans?"

For one terrible moment, Nate was afraid Beverly was going to say no…call him crazy…but she simply nodded and responded "Yeah…why?"

"I…I know that girl," he said weakly. His forehead was sticky, he felt warm, then cold again. His hands were trembling. This was the longest red light he'd ever known.

To make things worse…Mitchie was now staring directly at him, the playful smirk he knew so well on her face.

"Really? Cool," Beverly said, trying to figure out why he was acting so weird. "Who is she?"

"Her name's Mitchie," Nate whispered. "And…"

"What?"

"She died…six months ago."

Beverly slammed on the brakes.

* * *

H**ey guys! just thought I'd update really quick before I went to bed...I was just struck by a writing need and just decided to, well, write :) And I'd promised an update to a reader, so I decided 'Why not?' I hope you liked this chapter! Review? And those of you who haven't yet, please go to my profile and vote for the poll I posted; I would really appreciate it!!! Thanks so much!**


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